Tracked lumber drier



Sept. 14, 1925.. 1,599,557

J. A. (ZRAIG TRACKED LUMBER DRIER I fiurenior: V nag/2m I .Zdrnw 66. (Hay Sept 14, 1925. 1,599,557

J. A. CRAlG TRACKED LUMBER DRI ER Filed Jan. 1'7, 923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Awe/220i Jar/me (21.5059

By Adda;

TRACKED LUMBER DRIER.

Application filed January 17, 1923. Serial No. 613,127.

within a short period, a high content of moisture from the lumber by reason of the action of the two above noted forces.

lly whirling the lumber around a central pivot, the air is forced over the lumber surface in the same manner as from a blower or fan, but the drying process is greatly advanced by the centrifugal force to which the lumber is submitted at the same time because the water is naturally expelled from the innermost cells of the lumher towards its surface, where it is immediately absorbed and carried away by the rushing air.

My machine 1s, further, constructed so as to permit its easy loading; and unloading with the least possible loss of time, and

with perfect security in handling and operation, the machine being; located in the center of a traclr construction leading; into a drying room in such a way that the trucks on which the lumber is piled enter, on one side of the room, with wet lumber thence to pass in turn into my apparatus which then revolved, to be dried. and after this operation. the trucl-zs are talcen out of the machine aa'ain onto the traclr to be shifted out at the other end of the room into the adjacent dry room, or drying kiln, heated in the usual manner, in which the drying process is ac complished.

Many other advantages possessed by my apparatus and method of lumber drying; over older and present processes will be made apparent in the following specification, but my invention is not limited. to these, as many changes may be made in its construction without depart-ins: from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

ln the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a longitudinal front view of the apparatus,

Fig. 2 a longitudinal front view of the apparatus, and also showing means for rorating the cages and brake means for stopping the apparatus.

7i 3 is a cross-sectional view on line 3-3 Flex 2, and

l 4; is an enlarged view of the lumber compressing mechanism of the apparatus, to hold the lumber in position during the whirling; operation.

Fig. 5 is a side View of the lumber holding yoke-cams operating mechanism to show its attachment on the frame.

6 is a perspective View of a sec ion of a load of lumber to show my method of p ing it and my method of forcing the air through the piled lumber.

7 is an end view of the smaller air scoops that help to force the air through the lumber air spaces.

Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view on line 8-8 of Fig. 7, and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the cage rcvolving means.

The apparatus proper consists of an open ended two cage structure 1, built of structural steel in accordance with the wellrnown methods prevailing; in this art. said cages being; opposedly mounted an d balanced relative to one another on a platter 2, throi the center which dual cage structure is mounted a central h rizontal shaft 3, Figs. 1, 2 and 8, said horizontal shaft serving as a rotary support for said cage structure 1.

On platform 2, in each cage, are fastoned two steel rails 4t forming a track in each casts of the same gauge as that of the car tracks 5 built over wooden trestles 6, in the drying room Fig. 1, over which the lumber trurks A conveyed from the sawmill to the cage structure and thence to the dryin lriln, not shown.

Each cage is provided with an air see p,

or air directing hood. 7, of a width equal to the length of the cage. The object of these scoops. the construction of which needs no special description here. is to direct the air through the cages to discharge on the op posits sides, the air velocity and pressure (as it passes through the openings between the openly packed lumber. B, on the cars) being); proportional to the revolving speed of the apparatus around its axle, in the direction of arrows 8, Fig. 3.

. its it isnecessary that the lumber on the,

til

the cams cars be securely held in place during the whirling to which it is subjected for its dehydration, I provide each cage with a compressing device constructed as set forth below.

Tlransrersely across the top of each cage, on each of the two steel uprights 9, and extending upwardly and douuiwardly on each side of platform 2 on which they are securely riveted at 10, E fasten a pair of steel angles ll. Each pair of these angles 11 supports two lumber locking cams 12, which, by their rotation around pivots 18, raise or lower a clamping yolre 14, Figs. 3 andllying directly across the top or" the stacked lumber. When 12 are turner. downwardly, the. yolres l-lpress the lumber B downward onto the platform of the car, the pressure be ing exerted throughout the whole mas";- rhrough the trucks A to the rails l and thence onto platform 2 and thus hold securely in position the truck and its load or luinher, with no possibility oi the cars and lumber being accidentally released by the 'ce-ntriit'ugal force to which they are subjected.

it will be noted that the yol-ies 1.4 are avail able :t'or clamping the mass of material in the cage against the centrifugal niorunent without the use of the cars or trucks, the rails at being' omitted and the mass clamped down on the platform Each cam 12 is operated by upwardly extending tt'orlied lever-arm 15 Figs. 3 and l, linked to a steel bar 16 operated by a forked lever-arm 17 keyed to a means of an generally denoted by M, of which each cage may have as many as it as pairs of uprights, but in my preferred construction as herein shown I may use only one pair for each cage.

Mechanism iii is composed of a bracket "1 151's. and 5, a threaded ratchet a talreurp tension spring 23, a spring support ut washer 22!: and a ratche' lever Bracket 21, which is pivotally fastened on the central steel plate 96 by a pivot 26, guides rod 20 by means ot t'WO extending arms 527. The compression operation ohtained by means of the ratchet-lever 25 turn ing or screwing the ratchet upwards along the threaded rod 2-0 which. on account of the counter pressure ot spring against the nut washer Q4 lying on the hub of the ratcl'iet, is forced downwards and thus by means of lever 19, which is keyed on shaft 18, forces all cams 12 to press yokes let downardly upon the lumber.

Another object of spring 23 is to give a certain elasticity to the clamping yohes l4 fay making them take up the shrinkage in the lumfber as it dries, and to "keep the stackers or lumber spacers 28 under constant compression in the lumber during speed and shrii'ihage variations, and to hold them filly under the forces generated by the Ring of the apparatus to stop rotation. I 1 and 6 show how the lumber is piled noon the cars A. All the boards are placed lcugritudiuaily on the car platform with the woor ien stuckcrs or spacer. 28, of approxiless than one inch thick for lumi Hi l.-

most noticeable when dehydrating square blocks oi wood and, owing to their aggremass, it becomes necessary to nein transversely across the cars with the air spacers 28 therebetween lying l0ngitudinally.

ln order to overcome the tendency to block the 2-: of air through an open lumber pile ri-scrdiecl in thetoregoing paragraph, aid to individually direct the air pressure nrjl the open air spaces shown in the )ile B I have provided the form )Gffl metal deflector 29, Figs. 7 and 8,

' itab atiixed to the edges of the .ed e oi the boards to be acted the air et or pressure side or" the 1e tendency of the air to ly nd.

inl .iuerehy tl "e of the pile is obviated and the by these deflectors to pass st'ces or spaces between the igh speed and under great emitting from the exhaust ig. FF, after passing entirely the open pile B. This action subuiajor portion of the surface of the lumber to the absorption action of the h the result that the large volumes of no through the lumber pile take up and rapidly carry away large quantities of moisture.

The centrifugal action of the high rotation of the lumber tends to forcibly throw the 'ntcrnal moi ire content of the lumber to he siufaces. ther l to expose it to the abiorotion action of the air.

The velocity of the air through the open spaces of the piles of lumber is dependent on the revolving speed 01" the cages. The maximum peripheral lineal speed I have ascertained as necessary is off about 3600 ft. per minute, the inininuim. being not less than 2500 it. p. In, the variation in speed depending on the kin of lumber to he dried. To impart such variable, rotative speed to my apparatus 1 have found that the best method is shown at Fig. 9, wherein a screw worm 30 and a work-wheel 31 are utilized to give the necessary control. lVorm 30 is keyed on shaft 32 supported by supports 33 transversely located ltzencath the worm wheel 30 on extension 34: of the supporting base B of my apparatus. A pulley 35 keyed to shaft may be driven by an overhead shaft and pulley 36, Fig. 1, or directly by an electric motor, not shown.

lVorm wheel 30 is loose on end of shaft 3 and engages a driving; spring-ratchet dop; 3'7 keyed on shaft 3. This construction permits me to shut off the power derived from pulley 86 whenever I so desire, to free the worm and worm wneel and the apparatus may freely rotate until the acquired 1110 mentum is exhausted or it may be more rapidly stopped by the application of a brake 38 located on the opposite end of shaft 3 on extension 39 of base D of the apparatus.

In Fig. 1 in which is shown a longitudinal front elevation, of my apparatus in operative form, a trestle or framing, generally denoted by 6, supports an interrupted rail structure 5 in the center of which is mounted my rotary apparatus, generally denoted by i, said apparatus being so mounted that the loaded trucks may be pushed upon the rails 41: which are carried on the opposedly mounted cages.

In loading the trucks one of the cages is brought to register with the tracks 5 and a loaded truck is pushed thereon, the cage in the meanwhile beina brought in through the closable opening PE and held by any suitable locking means, not shown. After the truck has been brought in through the closable opening; PE and positioned in the-cage, the operator, who stands upon the platform C, Fig. 3, operates ratchet 22 by means of lever 25 to close the lumber compressing yokes 14 sufficiently to permit the truck of the upper cage to be locked in operative position. The previously locking" means is then released and the truck and overloaded cage is permitted to roll over, thereby bringing the lower empty half of the cage into operative relation with the tracks 5, and the second truck is pushed thereon and looked as previously described.

After dehydration has taken place the trucks are pushed from the cage and are passed out of the dehydrating room, in the direction of the arrow 40. through the opening P of the room B, said openingbeing controlled by any suitable closure means, such as E.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. Apparatus for dehydrating lumber comprising cages supported for rotation comprising cages supported. for

mentioned cage operating between said means for rotating and said shaft for rotating the shaft and upon stopping of the means for rotating permitting continued rotation by momentum of the shaft and the cages rotating-r therewith.

2. Apparatus for dehydrating with a common shaft; mean for rotating said shaft; clutch means normally cooperating' between said means for rotating) and said shaft for rotating the shaft and for releasing the shaft from the means for rotating; for permitting continued rotation of the shaft and the cages by momentum; and brake means for stopping continued rotation of said shaft and cages.

Apparatus for dehydrating lumber comprising cages supported for rotation with a common shaft; means for rotating said shaft; clutch means normally cooperating between said means forrotating and said shaft for rotating the shaft and for releasing the shaft from the means for permitting; continued rotation of the shaft and the cases by momentum; and band bralre means for stopping continued rotation of said shaft and cages.

Apparatus for I comprising cages supported for rotation with a common shaft; means for rotating said shaft; lumber piled in the cages in superimposed portions spaced apart for providing air spaces between the superimposed portions; and substantially Velmped deflectors attached to the edges of the superimposed portions on the forward rotating: side of the portions.

5. Apparatus for dehydrating comprising cages supported for rotation with a common axis; means for rotating said shaft; lumber piled in the cages in lumber superimposed portions spaced apart for providing spaces between the superimposed ')ortions; air scoops on the cages; and V- shaped deflectors positioned between the various layersin the lumber pile for cooperating with the air scoops for positively directair through said spaces during rotation of the cages.

6. Apparatus for dehydrating, lui'nber comprising cages supported for rotation with a common shaft; means for rotating said shaft; lumber piled in the cages in superimposed portions spaced apart for providing; spaces between the superimposed portions; air scoops on the cages; and sub stantially 'V-shaped deflectors attached to the edges of the superimposed portions on the forward rotating side of the portions.

7 Apparatus for dehydrating lumber co1nprising cages supported for rotation with a common shaft; means for r t t ng said,

dehydrating lumber shaft; means for permitting continued rotation of the cages after said means for rotating is stopped; lumber piled in the cages in superimposed portions spaced apart for providing spaces between the superimposed portions; means for preventing rotation of the cages while the lumber is being piled therein; means for securing the lumber in the cages against centrifugal movement during rotation; air scoops on the cages; and means for positively directing air through said spaces from the front to the rear thereof while the cages are rotated.

8. Apparatus for dehydrating lumber comprising cages supported for rotation with a common shaft; means for rotating said shaft; means for permitting continued rota tion of the cages aft-er said means for rotating is stopped; means for stopping said continned rotation of the cages; lumber piled in the cages in superimposed portions spaced apart for providing spaces between the superimposed portions; means for preventing rotation of the cages while the lumber is being piled therein; clamping means for securing the lumber in the cages against centrifugal movement during rotation; air scoops on the cages; and substantially V- shaped deflectors attached to the edges of the superimposed portions on the forward rotating side of the portions.

9. Apparatus for dehydrating lumber comprising cages supported for rotation with a horizontal shaft; means for rotating the shaft; tracks in the cages; trucks received in the cages and positioned 011 said tracks for rotation with the cages; and means for releasing the shaft from said means for rotating and for permitting continued rotation of the cages by momentum after the shaft is so released.

10. Apparatus for dehydrating lumber compris ng cages supported for rotation with a horizontal shaft; means for rotatthe shaft; tracks in the cages; trucks re ceived in the cages and positioned on said tracks for rotation with the cages; means for releasing the shaft and for permitting continued rotation of the cages by momentum after the shaft is so released; and means for stopping said continued rotation of the cages.

11. Apparatus for dehydrating lumber comprising cages supported for rotation with a horizontal shaft; means for rotating the shaft; tracks in the cages; trucks received in the cages and positioned on said tracks for rotation with the cages; means for preventing rotation of the cages during movement of the trucks to position on said tracks: means for releasing the shaft from said means for rotating and for permitting continued rotation of the cages by momentum ,ing rotation of the cages after the shaft is so released; and brake means for stopping said continued rotation of the cages.

12. Apparatus for dehydrating lumber comprising cages supported for rotation with a horizontal shaft; tracks in the cages; trucks received in the cages and positioned on said tracks for rotation with the cages; lumber piled on the trucks in superimposed portions arranged transversely of the cages and spaced apart by spacers arranged longitudinally of the cages for providing spaces between the superimposed portions; means for rotating said shaft; and cam-shaped clamping means for securing the trucks and superimposed portions in the cages for prevent ng centrifugal movement of the trucks and superimposed portions during rotation of the cages.

13. Apparatus for dehydrating lumber comprii cages supported for rotation with a horizontal shaft; tracks in the cages; trucks received in the cages and positioned on said tracks for rotation with the cages; lumber piled on the trucks in superimposed portions arranged transversely of the cages and s1 aced apart by spacers arranged longitudinally of the cages for providing spaces between the superimposed portions; means for rotating said shaft; a plurality of gripping cams operable from a single lever for securing each of the trucks and superimposed portions in the cages for preventing centrifugal movement of the trucks and superimposed portions during rotation of the cages; and means for positively directing air through said spaces from the front to the rear thereof while the cages are rotated.

14-. Apparatus for dehydrating lumber comprising cages supported for rotation with a- '.horizontal shaft; tracks in the cages; trucks received in the cages and positioned on said tracks for rotation with the cages; lumber piled on the trucks in superimposed portions arranged transversely of the cages and spaced apart by spacers arranged longitudinally of the cages for providing spaces between the superimposed portions; means for rotating said shaft; means for preventwhile the trucks are moved to position therein; a plurality of cam gripping cams for securing the trucks and superimposed portions in the cages for preventing centrifugal movement of the trucks and superimposed portions during rotation of the cages toggle links connecting said cams and operable by a single lever; air scoops on the cages; and means for positively directing air through said spaces of the superimposed portions from the front to the rear thereof while the cages are rotated.

JAMES A. CRAIG. 

